(# 369) Romans 12 - The Lord Wants Us to Live By a Standard

 

BARAH MINISTRIES ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

From now on, announcements will be recorded separately from the lesson.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Cliff Spier

July 5, 2017

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Kevin Collins

July 8, 2017

 

NO FACE-TO-FACE TEACHING

NEXT WEEK!

July 2, 2017

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The Lord’s Supper Celebration

July 16, 2017

 

The third week of the month instead of the second…

 

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Next Deacon’s Meeting

July 29, 2017

7:30A -9:00A

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

August 4-5, 2017

COEUR d’ALENE BIBLE CONFERENCE

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

September 15-16, 2017

MICHIGAN CONFERENCE

Detroit, Michigan

 

Turn off your electronic devices and put them away…they are not welcome here.  Let this be a place where you aren’t distracted by the world.

 

Welcome To

BARAH MINISTRIES

a Christian Church

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church based in Mesa, AZ…my name is Pastor Rory Clark.  We open with a few announcements…

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

The Lord Wants Us to Live By a Standard

 

Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 1 says…

 

ROMANS 12:1

Therefore, I (Paul) urge you, brethren (believers in Christ), by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God the Father, which is your spiritual service of worship.

 

Twenty years ago, more than four thousand baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel in Nashville for a conference.  There was a buzz as the coaches talked about the conference speakers — “John Scolinos is here? Oh, man! Can’t wait to listen to him!”

 

John Scolinos is a Hall of Fame College Baseball Head Coach, famous for his work at Pepperdine University and at Cal-Poly Pomona.  At the time of the conference, Coach Scolinos was seventy-eight years old and retired for five years from a college coaching career that began in 1948.  He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation, wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt, and a string around his neck from which hung home plate— a full-sized, white home plate.

 

After speaking for twenty-five minutes, not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck, Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches.  Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this, or if he had simply forgotten about home plate since he’d gotten on stage.  Sensing the murmur, the coach said, “You’re probably all wondering why I’m wearing home plate around my neck.  Well I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned about home plate in my 78 years on the planet.” 

 

The coach asked, “How wide home plate is in Little League?”  After a pause, someone offered, “Seventeen inches?”  He said, “That’s right!”  Then he asked, “How wide was home plate in Babe Ruth’s day?”  After a pause, someone said inquisitively, “Seventeen inches?”  Coach Scolinos said, “That’s right!”  He continued…“And how wide is home plate in high school baseball?”  Many said, “Seventeen inches!”  Scolinos barked, “You’re right!”

 

“And how wide is home plate in college?”  Everyone said, “Seventeen inches!”  Scolinos said, “Right!  How wide is home plate in minor league baseball?”  All clamored, “Seventeen inches!”  Scolinos said, “RIGHT!  “And in the Major Leagues, how wide is home plate?” the coach asked.  “Seventeen inches!”  The coach confirmed, “SEV-EN-TEEN INCHES!”  His voice was bellowing off the walls. 

 

“And what do they do with a Big League pitcher who can’t throw the ball over the seventeen inches?”  There was a pause.  Scolinos said, “They send him to the minor leagues!” he hollered.  The coaches laughed hysterically.  Scolinos added, “I’ll tell you what they don’t say…they don’t say, ‘Ah, that’s okay, Jimmy.  If you can’t hit a seventeen-inch target, we’ll make it eighteen or nineteen or twenty inches so you have a better chance of hitting it.  If you can’t hit that, let us know so we can make it wider still, say twenty-five inches.’”

 

There was silence.

 

Scolinos continued…“Coaches… what do you do when your best player shows up late to practice?  Or when your team rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows up unshaven?  What if he gets caught drinking?  Do we hold him accountable, or do we change the rules to fit him?  Do we widen home plate?”

 

Four thousand coaches were in shock as the meaning of the old coach’s message began to unfold.  The coach continued.  “This is the problem in our homes today…with our marriages…with the way we parent our kids…with our discipline.  We don’t teach accountability to our kids, and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards.  We just widen the plate!”

 

More sober silence.

 

“This is the problem in our schools today.  The quality of our education is going downhill fast and teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to educate and discipline our young people.  We are allowing others to widen home plate!  Where is that getting us?”

 

Silence.

 

“And this is the problem in the Church, where powerful people in positions of authority have taken advantage of young children, only to have such an atrocity swept under the rug for years.  Our church leaders are widening home plate for themselves!  And we allow it.”

 

“And the same is true with our government.  Our ‘so-called’ representatives make rules for us that don’t apply to them. They take bribes from lobbyists and foreign countries.  They no longer serve us.  And we allow them to widen home plate! We see our country falling into a dark abyss while we just watch.”

 

All were amazed.

 

“If I am lucky,” Coach Scolinos concluded, “You will remember one thing from this old coach today.  If we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard…a standard of what we know to be right…if we fail to hold our spouses and our children to higher standards…if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard…and if our schools and churches and government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve, there is but one thing to look forward to…dark days ahead”

 

The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to live by a standard.  The Lord never widens the plate.  Welcome to a congregation where we absolutely refuse to widen the plate.

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

FLAWLESS

MercyMe

 

One of God’s standards is The Cross.  The opening song tells us the standard all believers in Christ live by…FLAWLESS…the group is MercyMe.

 

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Father, thank you for not being a God of confusion…thank you for giving Your believers in Christ a single way to do a thing…the right way…and knowing that we had no power to attain this perfection on our own, thank you for sending Your Son to the Cross to make us flawless…giving each of us believers in Christ His perfect righteousness as a free gift at the moment of salvation…

 

Show us how to live to this flawless perfection as a reflection of You indwelling us along with the other members of the Trinity…

 

We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...

Amen.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

The Lord Wants Us to Live By a Standard

 

Our study of Romans, Chapters 1 to 8 outlined The Lord Jesus Christ’s plan for the Gentiles.  Our study of Romans, Chapters 9 to 11 outlined The Lord Jesus Christ’s plan for Israel and The Jewish Race.  Now as we transition to Romans, Chapter 12 to 16, we will be learning how the Lord Jesus Christ expects His plan to be manifest in us.  He wants us to know how to make His wishes clearly visible to the rest of the world.  The Lord wants us to live

by a standard.  Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 1 says…

EPHESIANS 4:1

Therefore I (Paul), the prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ, implore you believers in Christ to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…

 

Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 10 says…

 

EPHESIANS 2:10

For we believers in Christ are God the Father’s workmanship, created in union with Christ Jesus for good works, which God the Father prepared beforehand so that we believers in Christ would walk in these good works.

 

The Godhead expects us to live a lifestyle that reflects perfection.  Unfortunately we don’t.  So God gives us a Helper…First Thessalonians, Chapter 2, Verses 11 and 12 say…

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 2:11

…just as you know…we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you believers in Christ as a father would exhort and encourage and implore his own children…

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 2:12

…so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God and Father who calls you into His own kingdom and into God the Holy Spirit’s own glory.

 

God the Holy Spirit is known as, among other things, the Spirit of Glory...He is always in the background facilitating our glory…His job is to glorify the Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in each one of us through the use of His enabling power.  The Lord Jesus Christ in the One who sent God the Holy Spirit to us to lead us into glory…John, Chapter 16, Verses 5 to 7…

 

JOHN 16:5

“But now I (the Lord Jesus Christ) am going to God the Father who sent Me…and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’”

 

JOHN 16:6

“But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.”

 

JOHN 16:7

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (God the Holy Spirit) will not come to you…but if I go away, and I am, I will send Him to you.”

 

John, Chapter 16, Verses 13 to 15…

 

JOHN 16:13

“…when He, God the Holy Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth…for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears (from God the Father), He will speak…and God the Holy Spirit will disclose to you what is to come.”

 

Romans, Chapters 12 to 16 is God the Holy Spirit telling you the do’s and don’ts of living a standard worthy of the calling with which you have been called.  Before we plunge headlong in to Romans, Chapter 12, want to spend this lesson reminding you what to think when you don’t feel yourself living the biblical standard.  Okay…Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 1 says…

 

ROMANS 12:1

Therefore, I (Paul) urge you, brethren (believers in Christ), by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God the Father, which is your spiritual service of worship.

 

Romans Chapter 12 begins with one of the big words in the New Testament…THEREFORE.  When Paul uses THEREFORE, he is saying, since all the things I just told you are true…listen to this.  The THEREFORE at the beginning of Romans, Chapter 12, likely takes us all the way back to Romans, Chapter 8.  Some think this THEREFORE, takes us back only to Romans, Chapters 9 to 11…whatever is the truth…what has come before Romans, Chapter 12 is certainly worthy of being remembered.  What I want you to realize about your sanctification…your life after the moment of salvation…in that the Godhead gave the job of perfecting You to a Person who could handle the job…NO…NOT YOU…to God the Holy Spirit and His enabling power.  So I want you to remember this.  Whenever you think you aren’t cutting it spiritually, always pick up a bible, sit in a quiet place and read Romans, Chapter 8.  Let’s remind ourselves what it says…get yourself in a place free from distractions…and let’s really be touched by God and His Word…

In Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 1, God the Holy Spirit starts us off with a bang, reminding us of our exalted position as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ…

 

ROMANS 8:1

Therefore, (all these previously mentioned things in Romans, Chapters 1 to 7 being the case), there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in union with Christ Jesus.

 

Are we believers in Christ to spend our lives frustrated that we continue to sin after salvation?  Are we to beat our breasts as Paul did in the last few verses of Romans, Chapter 7…calling ourselves names and fretting because we are not perfect?  Or are we to simply enjoy the deliverance of the Lord that He always accomplishes for us?  I think you know the answer.  Now, why is Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 1 true? 

 

ROMANS 8:2

For the law of God the Holy Spirit, (out Mentor and Teacher) of the resurrection life in union with Christ Jesus, has SET US believers in Christ FREE (once…and for all time) from the law of sin and from spiritual death.

 

We are redeemed!  We are regenerated!  We are given the ZOE life…the resurrection life…eternal life…by the agency of God the Holy Spirit of life.  Sin brings death…but the Spirit brings life.  How do we get the freedom?

 

ROMANS 8:3

For what the Mosaic Law could not do, weak as it was through “the flesh,” God the Father did instead…sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and sending Him as an offering for sin…and Christ condemned sin in the flesh…

 

ROMANS 8:4

…so that the requirement of the Mosaic Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk “according to the flesh” (as unbelievers do) but who walk “according to the Spirit.”

 

The Mosaic Law could not defeat sin…but God did!  The Lord condemned sin, instead of condemning us!  And now the Holy Spirit transforms us in a slow and steady manner…the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of the Son…the Holy Spirit directs us concerning how to live the holy life…the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live a life we have no human power to live…the resurrection life.  In short, God doesn’t turn us over to our own devices after salvation… He keeps on transforming us from death to life through the power of the Spirit.  Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 5…

 

ROMANS 8:5

For those who are “according to the flesh” (unbelievers) set their minds on the things of the flesh…but those who are “according to the Spirit” (believers in Christ) set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

 

Believers in Christ care about God...we are positive toward Him, we want to please Him, and we CAN please Him through the power of the Spirit working in us.  Now, the continuation of the contrast between unbelievers and believers in Christ….

 

ROMANS 8:6

For the mind set on “the flesh” (the unbeliever’s mind) is death…but the mind set on the Spirit is set on the resurrection life and on peace (knowing God has nothing against you)…

 

ROMANS 8:7

…because the mind set on the flesh (the mind of the unbeliever) is hostile toward God…for it does not subject itself to the law of God…for it is not even able to do so…

 

ROMANS 8:8

…and those who are “in the flesh” (unbelievers) cannot please God.

 

Unbelievers do not care about God !  Let’s take a music break…and when we come back we’ll hear what we believers in Christ think about God.

 

MUSIC BREAK

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

Larnelle Harris

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

The Lord Wants Us to Live By a Standard

 

Let’s begin the next portion of our lesson by giving you a chance to make an offering…we need and we value your financial support to continue the work of this ministry…please welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with the offering message.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

HEBREWS 2:14

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself likewise also partook of flesh and blood, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Satan)…

 

OFFERING

FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE

Dave McClure, Instrumental

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

The Lord Wants Us to Live By a Standard

 

What do believers in Christ think about God?  Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 9 and following…

 

ROMANS 8:9

However, you believers in Christ are not “in the flesh” but you are “in the Spirit,” if indeed the Spirit of God the Father dwells in you (and it does). But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ (some do and some don’t…it’s a choice), that one does not belong to God the Father.

 

There is the new life in the new creature…the believer in Christ…and there is the old life of the unregenerate creature...the unbeliever.

 

ROMANS 8:10

If Christ is in union with you, and He is for believers in Christ, though the physical body is dead because of indwelling sin, yet the spirit is alive because of imputed righteousness.

ROMANS 8:11

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus (out) from the dead (ones) dwells in you, and He does for believers in Christ, God the Father who resurrected Christ Jesus from the dead will also give the resurrection life to your mortal bodies through the agency of His Holy Spirit who (in)dwells you.

 

Our bodies may be mortal…our bodies may be dead…but our lives are eternal.  The indwelling Spirit makes these mortal bodies come alive to be in service to the Lord.

 

ROMANS 8:12

So then (here is the point), brethren…we are under obligation, not to “the flesh,” to live “according to the flesh—”

 

ROMANS 8:13

…for if you are living “according to the flesh” … (and unbelievers do) … you must die (the second death in the Lake of Fire)…but if (for the sake of argument) by the agency of God the Holy Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live (the resurrection life).

 

This isn’t a reference to salvation…it’s a reference to a having great life through a great spiritual life, through the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit.  Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 14…

 

ROMANS 8:14

For all who are being led by the Holy Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

 

As believers in Christ, we have a birth relationship with God…the spiritual birth.  As such, we have a set of privileges that stagger the imagination.

 

ROMANS 8:15

For you believers in Christ have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

 

If you are a child of God…there is nothing to fear.  To reinforce the point, you are adopted with all the privileges an adult son had in ancient Rome… one who was adopted and given the entire inheritance of the adopting father…

ROMANS 8:16

God the Holy Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God…

 

The Holy Spirit confirms with His signature guarantee…His sealing ministry…that we are children of God.

 

ROMANS 8:17

…and if we are children of God the Father, and we are, we are heirs of God the Father also, heirs of God the Father and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Christ (and we do) so that we may also be glorified with Him.

 

ROMANS 8:18

For I (Paul) consider that the sufferings of this present time (tribulation, distresses, persecutions) are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

 

God the Holy Spirit of glory, after teaching us how to endure through suffering, will bring us to the enjoyment of glory.  The present sufferings are minor compared to the major glory that lies ahead.

 

ROMANS 8:19

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

 

In our souls we are desperate for the return of the Lord.  And what is it that we hope for?

 

ROMANS 8:20

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it…but in hope (the absolute confidence of a bright future)…

 

ROMANS 8:21

…that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption (“the flesh” in our bodies) into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

 

ROMANS 8:22

For we know that the whole creation keeps on groaning and keeps on suffering the pains of childbirth together until now.

 

ROMANS 8:23

And not only this, but also we believers in Christ ourselves, having the first fruits of God…that is, the Holy Spirit (our signatory)…even we ourselves keep on groaning within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, and the redemption of our body (which has not yet occurred).

 

ROMANS 8:24

For in hope we have been saved…but hope that is seen is not hope…for who hopes for what he already sees (because he has it)?

 

ROMANS 8:25

But if we hope for what we do not see (our resurrection body), and we do, with perseverance we keep on waiting eagerly for it (the glory of it all).

 

One day we will be free from the body of this death.

 

ROMANS 8:26

In the same way God the Holy Spirit also keeps on helping our weakness… for we believers in Christ do not even know how to pray as we should, but God the Holy Spirit Himself keeps on interceding for us believers in Christ with groanings too deep for words…

 

God the Holy Spirit never leaves us on our own to do anything…not even prayer…He ALWAYS helps us carry our heavy load.

 

ROMANS 8:27

…and God the Father who searches the hearts knows what the mind of God the Holy Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God the Father.

 

The Spirit voices our prayer requests for us.

 

ROMANS 8:28

And we believers in Christ know (with absolute certainty) that God the Father causes all things to work together for good to those who love God the Father, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 

The best way for us to express our love for God the Father is to accept the gift of His Son…

 

ROMANS 8:29

For those whom God the Father foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that the Christ would be the firstborn among MANY brethren…

 

Christ holds the exalted position and we share in His glory.

 

ROMANS 8:30

…and these whom God the Father predestined, He also called…and these whom God the Father called, He also justified…and these whom God the Father justified, He also glorified.

 

The Holy Spirit of glory succeeds!  Now Paul finishes this chapter of the letter with a series of rhetorical questions…

 

ROMANS 8:31

What then shall we say face-to-face with all these things? If God the Father is for us, and He is, who is (ever to be successful in opposition) against us?

 

ROMANS 8:32

God the Father, who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will God the Father not also, with our union with Christ, freely give us all things?

 

ROMANS 8:33

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God the Father is the one who justifies…

 

ROMANS 8:34

...who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who (condemns…He who) died, yes, rather who was raised (from the dead), who is at the right hand of God the Father, who ALSO intercedes for us.

 

ROMANS 8:35

Who will separate us from the unconditional love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword (separate us)?

 

ROMANS 8:36

Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;

we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 

ROMANS 8:37

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

 

ROMANS 8:38

For I (Paul) am convinced that neither death nor life…nor angels nor principalities…nor things present nor things to come…nor powers…

 

ROMANS 8:39

…nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the unconditional love of God the Father, which comes from being in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

We are eternally secure thanks to the signature guarantee of God the Holy Spirit…our Mentor…our Teacher…our Friend.  Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 1…

 

ROMANS 12:1

Therefore, I (Paul) urge you, brethren (believers in Christ), by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God the Father, which is your spiritual service of worship.

 

Have a great week off…I will…and let’s get cracking on Romans, Chapter 12 and our sanctification life when we return.

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

ACTS 16:30

“…the jailer asked (Paul and Silas), “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

 

ACTS 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

ROMANS 10:10

…for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

 

SECOND PETER 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of, but instead He is patient toward you unbelievers, not wishing for any to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).

 

LUKE 19:10

“For the Son of Man (the Lord Jesus Christ) has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

 

CLOSING SONG

WORTHY

June Murphy

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

          THANKS - INTERCESSION - PETITION

 

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

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